Open Letter to the Director of Amnesty International

Open Letter to the Director of Amnesty International

We strongly protest the description of your visit in Hebron, the conclusions you so arbitrarily reached, and the fact that you refuse to meet and discuss the issues involved with representatives of Hebron's Jewish community.

From David Wilder & Noam Arnon

December 26, 2006

Ms. Irene Khan
Amnesty International
Fax: 44-20-79561157
1 212 463 91931 212 627 1451
admin-us@aiusa.org

Dear Ms. Khan,

Amnesty International's declared objective is a "vision of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards."

Accordingly, we have no choice but to express our deep dismay at the fact that during your recent visit to Hebron (December 2006), you did not see fit to visit the Jewish Community of Hebron and speak with representatives of the community.

As we are sure you are aware, Hebron's Jewish community dates to the days of antiquity, with a continuous Jewish population for thousands of years. In August of 1929, sixty-seven Jews were slaughtered and over 70 injured by their Arab neighbors. The survivors were expelled from the city. Men, women and children were butchered, raped, burned and tortured. The ancient Jewish quarter was destroyed and its holy sites desecrated.

Some 25 years ago, Hebron's Jewish community was renewed in parts of the destroyed Jewish neighborhoods; and Jewish families returned to live in Jewish homes following transfer of ownership deeds by the property's owners to the community.

The Hebron Jewish community has suffered tremendously as a result of constant attacks by Arab terrorists belonging to terror organizations. Unfortunately, it seems that you are unaware of this fact, as a result of your decision to see Hebron from a very prejudiced point of view, speaking with one side only; thereby, ignoring the human rights and suffering of the city's Jewish residents.

You write: "the movements of tens of thousands of Palestinian residents depend entirely on the decision of the Israeli soldiers. Often the Palestinian residents are placed under curfew, which do not apply to the 500 Israeli settlers who live in the area."

This is untrue. An overwhelming majority of Hebron and Hebron's Arab residents are under rule of the Palestinian Authority. Arabs have free access to the entire city; whereas, Jews have access to only about 10% of Hebron. Also, Hebron's Arabs have not been placed under curfew in years. Curfews are imposed only following massive terror attacks in the area. When there is no terror, there are no curfews.

You write: "Wire nets have been placed over the narrow alleys, separating Jewish settlers from Palestinian shops, to prevent the settlers hurling objects and excrement at the Palestinian and international visitors."

Perhaps the wire nets have been placed to prevent Arabs below from hurling rocks, hand grenades and bombs into Jewish homes, or to prevent terrorists from easily climbing into the Jewish neighborhoods?

You write: "We keep our visit short because it is past sunset and it is not advisable to stay in the area after dark."

Why is it not advisable to stay in the area after dark? Who are you afraid of? Who told you that night is dangerous in Hebron. When was the last time an Arab was shot at or attacked by Jews in Hebron, during the day or at night?

We strongly protest the description of your visit in Hebron, the conclusions you so arbitrarily reached, and the fact that you refuse to meet and discuss the issues involved with representatives of Hebron's Jewish community. Should you decide to fulfill Amnesty's "vision," as quoted above, and objectively examine current issues in Hebron, we would be happy to invite you to meet with us in order to show you, first-hand, the hardships that Hebron's Jews have to deal with on a daily basis.

It would be advisable for Amnesty International to remain a neutral, objective organization and not act so irresponsibly as to draw conclusions before carefully examining the facts and hearing all the parties involved.

Sincerely,

Noam Arnon, David Wilder
Spokesmen for the Jewish Community of Hebron

A Day in the Life of a Girl from Hebron

Yesterday morning I was getting ready to leave our Beit Hadassah apartment. It was just after eight. At 8:30 I usually spend about half an hour learning with my friend Rabbi Yisrael Shlissel in the Ohr Shlomo Kollel (Torah study hall) in Tel Rumeida. My cell phone rang. It was Rabbi Yisrael: "We won't be able to study together this morning. The police are all over the neighborhood. I thin k they're looking for my wife. They were wandering around on our porch. I don't want to leave the house." I, of course, asked: "Why do they want Tzippy?" "I have no idea," he responded.

 

I drove up to Tel Rumeida to see what was happening. On the way up the hill the police car was making its way down. However, two cops were still in the neighborhood . "Who are you looking for today," I queried?  Their answer: "Who are you? Where is your ID card? Show me your driver's license." After carefully examining them, they ignored me. Someone else started yelling at them: "Who are you looking for today – our children. When was the last time you caught a terrorist, a murderer?"

 

After I while I left, and a few hours later drove up to Kiryat Arba. Who was just inside the town gate, waiting to greet me? You guessed. Another police car, signaling me to pull over to the side of the road.  The cop gave my car and my passenger a good once-over, and then, not having discovered what, or who, he was searching for, smiled a cute smile and told me to have a good day. Thanks a lot.

 

I later heard that the police were swarming around the outside gate of the girl's religious high school building.

 

Early afternoon. My daughter's friend and classmate, Bitya Shlissel, fifteen years old, was walking from the high school to the lunch room, a few minutes away. Together with a couple of other girls they walked past a group of plain-clothed detectives. Suddenly a police car stopped behind them and one of the detectives yelled, "Batya, get over here fast!" Bitya's two friends, being experienced in such matters, quickly grabbed her arm and started pulling her, just as the detective caught her other arm and  too began tugging. Bitya had enough. She told her friends, "why should they arrest you too?" and they let her go. The detective threw her into the back of the car and sped off with his criminal of the day. A fifteen year old tenth grader.

 

Not just any tenth grader. Bitya is the grand daughter of Rabbi Shlomo Ra'anan, who was murdered by terrorists in Tel Rumeida over eight years ago. Sixty three at the time of his death, Rabbi Ra'anan was the grandson of Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Avraham Kook. Her parents, Rabbi Yisrael and Tzippy, moved to Hebron following the killing and the Rabbi became the dean of the new study hall, opened in his father-in-law's memory.

 

The Shlissels lived in the Mitzpe Shalhevet neighborhood, formerly the "Arab Shuk" or market. Until they were expelled, with eight other families almost a year ago. A short time later they moved into the newly purchased Beit Shapira, not far from their old home. There too, they were expelled by the police, with several other families. One can image that the kids haven't had an easy time of it. And yesterday, Bitya found herself being dragged away by the police.

 

At the Kiryat Arba police station, when asked her name, Bitya responded. However, when they police started with other questions, she ignored them.

 

As a rule, a person who is to be interrogated is presented with an official request to appear for questioning. No such order had ever been issued to Bitya or her parents. She had no idea why she had been swooped up by the police while on her way to lunch.

 

The police packed her into another car and drove the fifteen year old to Jerusalem for further questioning. Only then did Bitya understand why she'd been kidnapped by the police.

 

Last summer three Hebron girls, Bitya's friends, were being held in prison as the result of a demonstration in Hebron. One night Bitya and a few of her friends staged a demonstration by the home of Supreme Court Justice Ayala Prokatchia, who was instrumental in keeping the girls in jail. The girls hung some signs outside and chanted some slogans before being chased away by the police. As a result of this demonstration, an arrest warrant was issued against Bitya Shlissel on July 2, 2006 and charged her with: threatening and offending a public servant, trespass, and inciting violence or terror. It seems that yesterday the police suddenly remembered that the warrant had been issued a half a year ago and decided to act quickly, before the terrorist criminal could escape. So, Bitya was arrested. Of course, her parents weren't notified until after the fact, when she was already in Jerusalem.

 

Bitya told me that during the interrogation she kept her eyes on one of the plants in room and refused to say anything. When the police woman questioning her became bored with her answers, she told her she could go home after her parents came and signed a bond note guaranteeing her appearance in court. Bitya told her: "No way are my parents coming here to sign anything. " The police woman then called Bitya's mother, Tzippy, who, as you might imagine, had nothing good to say to her. So the police finally agreed to allow Bitya to sign for herself, and then led her to the door.

 

"Wait," she exclaimed, "how am I supposed to get home? I don't have any money or anything. You swiped me from the street on the way to lunch." The police response: Our only responsibility is to notify your parents. It's your problem how you get back home. Period!

 

After a while one of the Shlissels' neighbors, who was in Jerusalem, picked Bitya up and drove her home for a belated lunch and dinner.

 

A day in the life of a girl from Hebron.

Marwan, Yigal, and Akiva

Marwan, Yigal, and Akiva

December 4, 2006

 

Absurdity levels are difficult to measure. Today Defense Minister Peretz gave orders forbidding apprehension of terrorists in Judea and Samaria without the expressed permission of the commander of forces in Judea and Samaria. In other words, if a wanted killer is seen standing on a street corner in downtown Jenin, an official request has to be issued before he can be arrested.

 

In addition, should Israeli forces view terrorists in Gaza preparing to shoot a Kasam missile at Sderot or elsewhere in southern Israel, the terrorists may not be stopped. They must be allowed to finish what they started, i.e, attempting to kill Israeli civilians in the state of Israel.

 

And finally, Olmert, speaking in the Knesset committee for defense and security promised that Israel will 'pay whatever price is necessary in order to release the POWs be held in Gaza and Lebanon.'

 

What are the implications of the above three paragraphs?

1.     Israel is opening coffee shop chains throughout Judea and Samaria, providing wanted terrorists a place to rest while the request to arrest them is processed.

2.     Israel is opening coffee shop chains in Gaza for terrorists to rest and relax at following a hard day (or night's) work shooting missiles at Israeli citizens.

3.     Rumor has it that the PA has included Yigal Amir's name on the list, right after Marwan Barghuti.

 

However, this is just the beginning. Just how far does Israeli theatre of the absurd reach? A few days ago, our friend Akiva Lebovitch received a military order, signed by General Yair Naveh, commander of the Central region, ordering him to report to …. Ma'aleh Adumim. [See: http://www.hebron.org.il/hebrew/article.php?id=308]

 

Akiva, married less than three months ago, [http://www.hebron.org.il/hebrew/gallery.php?id=191] lives with his new bride in the Yitzhar Community in the Shomron. There he studies in the local Yeshiva, while his wife travels daily to the city of Ariel, where she attends the College or Judea and Samaria. Akiva, twenty two years old, grew up in Hebron. His parents and younger siblings live in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood. Late Friday afternoon, on July 26, 2002, one of Akiva's older brothers, Elazar, was driving his friend Neria ben Yitzhak and his new bride Sarah to Hebron, to celebrate the first Shabbat following their wedding. Terrorists opened fire on their car, killing Elazar. Only minutes earlier the same terrorists shot and killed three members of the Dikstein family from Psagot.

 

Last week security forces delivered a military order to Akiva which forbids him from being anywhere in Judea and Samaria for the next three months. He may not live in his new home in Yitzhar, nor may he visit his parents in Hebron. He can't even take a trip to Tel Aviv. The military order commands him to reside in Ma'ale Adumim, just south of Jerusalem. For the next three months.

 

Why? According to the command: "after having studied the security material which has piled up against Akiva Lebovitch, I am of the opinion that it is necessary for definite security reasons that he be placed under special surveillance."

 

Just what is the 'security material which has piled up' against Akiva? Ahh, that's a state secret, material compiled by the 'Jewish department of the Shabak,' the Israeli security force, an organization which more resembles Stalin's secret police than a Jewish intelligence agency in Israel, 2006.

 

Where in Ma'ale Adumim must Akiva reside? Is the army providing him with an apartment, or a hotel room? Are they providing free transportation to his wife everyday to Ariel? (The order was addressed only to him, not to her.) What about his monthly stipend/salary from the Yeshiva?

 

Of course, the answers to the above questions are clearly understood: Sleep in the street, eat air for three months, and forget about your wife. She's not dangerous; you are.

 

The restricting orders shocked the entire Lebovitch family. Akiva's father, Yossi, told me that the last time Akiva had any contact with the law was over three years ago, after participating in a Hebron demonstration. Since then, nothing. "They have no reason at all to restrict my son's movements. He hasn't done anything and was just married. Why should they make his life so difficult for him now, at this special time in his life. It was hard enough following the murder of his brother Elazar. But we've tried to mend our lives, putting them back together again, not an easy feat. Akiva and Moria (his wife) are so happy together. What did they do to deserve this?"

 

"If the security forces have information which incriminates my son, let them arrest him, present evidence, and give him a chance to defend himself. If they don't have any evidence against him, why should he be punished, for not only something he didn't do, but for what he is not even able to know about?  His alleged crime is so horrendous that it is a secret, even from him!?"

 

Akiva isn't the first young man placed under 'military house arrest' for unknown and undefined crimes against humanity. Over the past few months 20 others preceded him, also receiving such military orders, expelling them from any presence in Judea and Samaria.

 

Of course, protests against such deviations of justice are also illegal. Last Saturday night, Hebron resident Noam Federman, as he left his car in the vicinity of the residence of General Naveh, was immediately arrested, together with two young children and held until four in the morning. Another of the apprehended was Rabbi Shmuel Yaniv, a well-known Torah scholar, who was disgraced by the police.

 

So let it be known by one and all: It is forbidden to arrest Arab terrorists without permission, or to stop them from attacking Israelis, even when the missile is in the launcher. However, harsh restriction orders against Israeli citizens who have absolutely no idea what they've done wrong is perfectly OK.

 

Maybe we can get Marwan to add Akiva's name to the list too, after him and Yigal?

 

 

 

Anyone desiring to express an opinion directly to General Yair Naveh may fax him at:08-8680240  

or phone him at:02-5305738  or  02-5305294